Disney World Park is 2022’s Most Visited, But Universal Still Beats It Out in One Way

Disney has invested a lot of time and money into making the Walt Disney World Resort a premier Disney vacation spot. From the incredible rides and attractions on view—think Haunted Mansion, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Space Mountain, or the beloved Main Street, U.S.A—at the Park to the incredible entertainment offerings (with new ones on offer every year) and seasonal overlays that are coming up for the end of the year, there’s a lot to look forward to.

It’s no surprise, then, that after two years of a pandemic, a Walt Disney World Resort Disney Park topped the TEA’s list for the most visited theme park in 2022.

What is the TEA?

The TEA, or the Themed Entertainment Association, is an “international non-profit association representing the world’s leading creators, developers, designers and producers of compelling places and experiences” all over the globe. Over 1200 member companies in 40 countries are part of the association and have “expertise in storytelling, design, economics, logistics, architecture, construction, and manufacturing.”

The TEA patterned with AECOM to release an annual report to release an attendance report for parks around the globe, and the results this year are interesting, to say the least.

Disney’s Magic Kingdom tops TEA’s Most Visited theme parks in 2022

Journalist Scott Gustin took to Twitter to share the report, celebrating Magic Kingdom Park—home to Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Peter Pan’s Flight, Jungle Cruise, and the beloved Cinderella Castle, among other Disney World rides and attractions—for topping the list of most visited theme parks in 2022. Disneyland Park in Southern California’s Disney Resort came in second on the list.

Disney’s top competitor, Universal’s theme park, Universal’s Islands of Adventure, was third on the list, a notable chunk down from Disneyland Park in attendance. However, there was one way that Universal beat out Disney despite coming in third.

Magic Kingdom Park topped the list of most visited theme parks in 2022, according to the annual TEA report. Disneyland Park came in second.

Interesting note: Universal's Islands of Adventure came in at 3 but was the only park with higher attendance in 2022 vs. 2019. pic.twitter.com/VRERtzlCU5

— Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) June 14, 2023

As Gustin also noted, Universal’s Islands of Adventure was the only park with attendance numbers that were higher in 2022 compared to 2019. Both Walt Disney World and Disneyland have not yet made up the difference to match their 2019 numbers; it’s also important to note that, according to the AECOM theme index, 2019 was the year when the global attractions industry hit its peak—right before the pandemic hit.

Related: Recent Reports Assert Disney World “Unusually Empty,” Losing its Main Audience

It’s no secret that the Disney theme parks have become incredibly expensive, with many families being priced out of the experience. In addition, Universal has become more popular with Guests, with reports stating that the theme park is catching up to its competitor.

For many, Walt Disney World and Disneyland remain the ultimate vacation, but perhaps in the years to come, Disney might have to start rethinking its strategy to maintain that top spot.